Three new members to join NUS Board of Trustees

Three new members will join the NUS Board of Trustees from 1 April 2023. They are: Ms Angelene Chan, Chairman of DP Architects; Ms Donna See, CEO of Xora Innovation; and Mr Ong Chong Tee, Chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority.  

Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, Chairman of the NUS Board, said, “We warmly welcome Angelene, Donna and Chong Tee to our Board, and look forward to their support. Their expertise in their respective fields and rich insights will be invaluable in guiding NUS towards fulfilling its vision.”

Ms Chan served as CEO of DP Architects (DPA), a Singaporean multinational architectural firm, from 2016 to 2021. As an architect, her portfolio includes notable projects such as Resorts World Sentosa, Wisma Atria and The Dubai Mall. She has been recognised with various honours for her design accomplishments, receiving the President’s Design Award (P*DA) for her work on Sunray Woodcraft Construction’s Headquarters in 2015 and the 2018 P*DA Designer of the Year award, Singapore’s highest design accolade. She serves on the Boards of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore and the Sentosa Development Corporation, among others.

Ms See has more than 20 years of experience in transforming scientific and engineering innovation into commercially viable ventures. She has served in various start-up and founding executive roles, including as Chief Business Officer of cardiac precision medicine company TARA Biosystems; co- founder of Vixen Pharmaceuticals, a developer of innovative therapies for autoimmune dermatologic conditions; and Chief Business Officer of Allied-Bristol Life Sciences, which develops biopharmaceutical innovations for fibrosis, cardiovascular, oncology, immunology and genetically defined diseases.

Mr Ong previously served with the Monetary Authority of Singapore from 1986 to 2021, holding senior positions in the areas of reserve management, central banking monetary operations and market development. He was most recently MAS’ Deputy Managing Director of Financial Supervision, overseeing the financial sectors of banking, insurance, capital markets, payment services, as well as the supervision of technology and money laundering risks from 2014 to 2021. Mr Ong was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2007 and Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Bar) in 2021 by the President of Singapore. He sits on various boards in the public and private sectors, including as Chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and is a member of the GIC Risk Committee.

Commenting on their appointments, the new members said they were honoured to join the NUS Board.

“I look forward to working with fellow board Trustees and the NUS community to raise the university's academic and research excellence, and increase positive social impact on pressing issues such as sustainability and human capital development,” said Ms Chan.

Mr Ong, an NUS alumnus, said: “I hope to bring my own experiences in public service and my deep involvement with many financial institutions to support the Board discussions and decision-making.” Noting that the future of work is being driven by the pervasiveness of digital information, technology-led transformations and demands for skills that go beyond technical competencies, Mr Ong added that “NUS must enable our students to be active lifelong learners with enduring qualities to be successful in the workplace and community.”  

Ms See said, “It is truly an honour and privilege to be appointed to the NUS Board of Trustees. I am greatly looking forward to collaborating with NUS leadership and my esteemed fellow board members to advance the mission, values, and goals of the university.”

In line with the Board’s renewal, two non-executive members will retire on 31 March 2023. Mr Peter Ho, Senior Advisor to the Centre for Strategic Futures and former Head of Civil Service, served on the Board for 12 years. Ms Elaine Yew, senior partner at executive recruitment firm Egon Zehnder, is retiring from the Board after nine years of service. Another member, NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost Professor Ho Teck Hua will also step down on the same date, as part of his appointment as the next president of the Nanyang Technological University.

Mr Hsieh thanked Mr Ho, Ms Yew and Prof Ho for their outstanding contributions and dedication to NUS over the years. “Elaine has given generously of her expertise and support to the University, especially in matters of key appointments. Peter is deeply involved with the University, providing astute guidance on many important issues. Teck Hua has been key to NUS’ strategic push, driving bold and impactful changes on many fronts and raising the bar in hiring. The University has benefitted greatly from them,” he added.

The NUS Board of Trustees currently has 20 members. Appointed by the Minister for Education, the Board works closely with the University’s management and stakeholders to shape its vision, chart major directions and guide significant initiatives.   

Read more about the Trustees here and see the full list here.